SHARE
COPY LINK

FILM

Swiss returns home to make ‘gender-fluid’ film

Swiss filmmaker Florian Halbedl is returning to Switzerland from his current home in Canada to shoot an unusual short film in the canton of Ticino with his trans-gender partner.

Swiss returns home to make 'gender-fluid' film
Photo: Turbid Lake Pictures (detail)

The film, called Limina, is about a “curious gender-fluid child” living in a “small and magical village”, with the Ticino municipality of Lavertezzo standing in for that role.

Having a “gender-fluid” child as the central character touches on a subject that is close to home for Halbedl and his spouse, Joshua M. Ferguson, described by their production company as a “non-binary transperson”.

The film aims to go beyond looking at children as boys or girls to examine those whose gender is not clear cut.

Halbedl, 30, and Ferguson, 32, say they want to encourage acceptance of non-conforming children who do not feel either male or female but identify from a “gender spectrum” of possibilities.

Limina makes a plea for “increasing awareness and tolerance for gender creativity in children that may or may not extend beyond childhood”, Halbedl told The Local.

“What Joshua and I are trying to do is to capture the innocence and beauty of a gender-fluid child in a picturesque village,” he said.

By “gender”, he said, “we are referring to the social construct, not the biological/chromosomal construct”.

The independent filmmakers are now based in Vancouver operating under the Turbid Lake Pictures banner and recently produced a short film called Whispers of Life, which received a Directors Guild of Canada 2014 nomination for best short film.

Halbedl was born in Lucerne and grew up on the Trübsee, a mountain lake in the canton of Nidwalden, where he recalls taking the cable car to go to school in nearby Engelberg.

He still has family and friends in Switzerland, including former classmate Dominique Gisin, the Olympic gold medal winning skier (2014 Sochi Winter Games).

Halbedl described Gisin as “one of our champions and a dedicated supporter of Limina”.

The film has been partially financed through crowdfunding on Indiegogo and the directors have signed up American film and TV actor Shannyn Sossamon (A Kinght’s Tale, 40 Days and 40 Nights and The Rules of Attraction) to play one of the main roles.

Why film in Ticino?

“I see it as a chance to combine my adult life and work, with my place of origin, my home country;“ Halbedl said.

“Joshua and I have thought about taking our passion for filmmaking, our art, to Switzerland for a few years now and when we decided to work on Limina next, we knew this would be the perfect film to shoot in Switzerland.”

Halbedl said he wrote the original script for Limina in 2011 but while doing rewrites Lavertezzo “became an immediate inspiration for the story”.

As a child, he said he used to visit Lugano and Locarno, cities in the canton of Ticino, “so I have fond memories of that part of Switzerland”.

When the filmmakers approached the Ticino Film Commission with their proposal “they were immediately on board to support our shoot there”.

Filming is set to beginning this summer.

“We hope to cast some of our characters from the Ticino and other regions of Switzerland,” Halbedl said.

“One of the scenes in Limina will require some extras as well, so we hope to entice some of the locals to join our adventure and become a part of the film.”

For more information about the film check here

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

FILM

French films with English subtitles to watch in November

As days get shorter and temperatures drop, November is a great month to enjoy a warm and comforting moment at the cinema. Here’s a round up of the French movies with English subtitles to see in Paris this month.

Cinema in France
Photo: Loic Venance/AFP

The cinema group Lost in Frenchlation runs regular screenings of French films in the capital, with English subtitles to help non-native speakers follow the action. The club kicks off every screening with drinks at the cinema’s bar one hour before the movie, so it’s also a fun way to meet people if you’re new to Paris.

These are the events they have coming up in November.

Friday, November 5th

Boîte Noire – What happened on board the Dubai-Paris flight before it crashed in the Alps? In this thriller Matthieu, a young and talented black box analyst played by Pierre Niney (star of Yves Saint-Laurent among other movies) is determined to solve the reason behind this deadly crash, no matter the costs. 

The screening will take place at the Club de l’étoile cinema at 8pm. But you can arrive early for drinks at the bar from 7pm. 

Tickets are €10 full price, €8 for students and all other concessions, and can be reserved here.

Sunday, November 14th

Tralala – In the mood for music? This new delightful French musical brings you into the life of Tralala (played by Mathieu Amalric), a 48 years old, homeless and worn-out street singer, who one day gets mistaken for someone else. Tralala sees an opportunity to get a better life by taking on a new personality. He now has a brother, nephews, ex-girlfriends, and maybe even a daughter. But where is the lie? Where is the truth? And who is he, deep down?

The night will start with drinks from 6pm followed by the screening at 7pm at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema. There is also a two-hour cinema-themed walk where you’ll be taken on a “musicals movie tour” in the heart of Paris, which begins at 4pm.

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here. Tickets for the walking tour cost €20 and must be reserved online here.

Thursday, November 18th

Illusions Perdues – Based on the great novel series by Honoré de Balzac between 1837 and 1843, this historical drama captures the writer Lucien’s life and dilemmas who dreams about a great career of writing and moves to the city to get a job at a newspaper. As a young poet entering the field of journalism, he is constantly challenged by his desire to write dramatic and eye-catching stories for the press. But are they all true?

The evening will kick off with drinks at L’Entrepôt cinema bar at 7pm, followed by the movie screening at 8pm. Tickets are available online here, and cost €8.50 full price; €7 for students and all other concessions.

Sunday, November 21st

Eiffel – Having just finished working on the Statue of Liberty, Gustave Eiffel (played by Romain Duris) is tasked with creating a spectacular monument for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. It’s ultimately his love story with Adrienne Bourgès (Emma Mackey) that will inspire him to come up with the idea for the Eiffel Tower.

After a first screening last month, Lost in Frenchlation is organising a new one at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema, with pre-screening drinks at the cinema bar. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here

Thursday, November 25th

Les Héroïques – Michel is a former junkie and overgrown child who only dreams of motorbikes and of hanging out with his 17-year-old son Léo and his friends. But at 50 years old, he now has to handle the baby he just had with his ex, and try not to make the same mistakes he has done in the past. 

The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director Maxime Roy who will discuss his very first feature. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here.

Full details of Lost in Frenchlation’s events can be found on their website or Facebook page. In France, a health pass is required in order to go to the cinema.

SHOW COMMENTS